Bonafos replaces Velarmino as new Army special operations forces commander

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Army’s elite special operations forces welcomed its new commander in a change of command ceremony at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija on Tuesday.

Brigadier General John Bonafos replaced Brigadier General Jet Velarmino who served as the Commander of the Special Operations Command in an acting capacity after Major General Romulo Bambao retired in January, the Army said in a statement.

The Special Operations Command of the Army handles the elite units Special Forces, Scout Ranger and Light Reaction Battalion.

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Bonafos is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1982.

Prior to his assumption as Socom Commander, Bonafos was the Commander of the General Headquarters and Headquarters Service Command at Camp Aguinaldo.

He also commanded the 802nd Brigade, 8th Infantry Division in Bohol and Ormoc City.

Meanwhile, Colonel Eduardo Davalan was appointed as the new head of the First Scout Ranger Regiment.

The FSSR is the Army’s primary special forces unit in charge of counter-guerrilla warfare.

Davalan, a member of PMA Class of 1985, replaced Brigadier General Abraham Bagasin who is set to assume as Deputy Commander of the Northern Luzon Command based at Camp Aquino in Tarlac.

He was previously Assistant Chief of Unified Command Staff at the Western Mindanao Command prior to his post.